You've Been Book'd With The 2025 Global Read Aloud Books!

 

The 2025 Global Read Aloud kicks off on October 6, 2025.  This is one of our favorite reading events every year. 

The premise is simple; we pick a book to read aloud to our students during a set 6-week period and during that time we try to make as many global connections as possible.

You can click on each book cover to find the Global Read Aloud Books in Follett Content Titlewave.

You will find the books and this choice board here, friends. 

I hope you join readers around the world for the Global Read Aloud. It's such an amazing reading event that you and your readers will love. 

Keep Teacher Appreciation Week Going All Month Long With This Special Giveaway From Capstone and Follett Content!

 

Let's keep Teacher Appreciation Week going all month long with this special giveaway from our friends at Capstone and Follett Content. 

As shared on the invite...

Don’t miss out on your chance to win some freebies. Enter today!

At Follett Content, we want to celebrate teachers all month long! We’re running a free giveaway to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week 2025 in the US!

Two lucky grand-prize winners will receive:

• Stairway Decodables Paperback Boxed Set of 70 Books
• 50 Dry Erase Markers
• 50 Elkonin Box Dry Erase Boards
• A Capstone Hot/Cold Mug
• $50 Coffee Shop Gift Card

Two runner-ups will receive:

• $50 Titlewave® Promotional Credit*

The deadline to enter is May 30 — don’t miss out on this free giveaway for teachers! Fill out the form below for your chance to win.

 Learn more about these books.

One entry per customer; entries must be received by 11:59pm CT on May 30, 2025.
Official rules.

*Titlewave Promotional Credits are valid for two years from date issued.

Enter here today, friends.  

Join Us This Week On May 14th For The Book Creator Webinar, Summer Learning and Reading Adventures!

        

I am so excited to invite all of you to the NEW Book Creator webinar, Summer Learning and Reading Adventures! 

As shared in the invite, 

Join us on May 14, 2025 at 12:00pm EST for an engaging webinar with Shannon McClintock Miller, Future Ready Librarian and Edtech Leader, as we explore exciting ways to keep students reading and learning all summer long!

Discover creative strategies and interactive activities that will inspire students to stay curious, build literacy skills, and avoid the summer slide. Whether you're a teacher, librarian, or parent, you'll walk away with practical ideas to make summer reading fun and meaningful.

The recording will be sent to all who register, so even if you can't make it, it's still worth registering. 

Visit this link to register today, friends. 

Bringing Our Kindergarteners Famous American Research Project To Life Using PebbleGo, Animation Drawings and Book Creator!

 

One of my favorite projects every year is the one I do with Melanie Smith and her kindergartners.  

Her students pick a famous American to research using PebbleGo. 

With a small group they write a report and draw a picture of their famous American from the research they did in PebbleGo. 

After they have finished this part, I work with them to record and animate the project using Animated Stories, and...

...Book Creator to make their research, illustrations, reports and videos into a book. 

You will find the Our Famous American Research Project Book Creator book here.

And you can read all about last years project to find the details and directions of this project. 

Sign up for your Book Creator account today. 

You can use the code SHANNON at the checkout when upgrading and get 1 month of premium FREE.

Book Creator brings so much joy to our classrooms, libraries and communities. I can't wait to see what your students create too. 

I Am On TikTok and Would LOVE to Connect, Friends!

 

I am on TikTok, friends! 

After watching all of the other amazing things being shared on TikTok by lots of librarians and educators, I decided to dive in this week and start sharing on TikTok too. 

I have been having so much fun learning how to use TikTok and other tools like Adobe for Reels and CapCut.  

If you are on TikTok, I would LOVE to connect and follow each other.  You can find me at @shannonmmiller3 on TikTok. 

You've Been Books With The NEW "ISTE Digital Explorers" Early Chapter Book Series!

 

Friends, I have been working on a fun project with my friends at Capstone and ISTE. It’s the ISTE Digital Explorers series! 

Each story in this early chapter book series focuses on one ISTE Student Standard. Young readers will be inspired to engage with technology in thoughtful, responsible, and innovative ways to learn, grow, and connect in our digital world. Perfect for digital and media literacy. 
You can click on each book cover  to find the hardback and paperback in Titlewave, 
and you will find all of them together here. They are released on August 1, 2025.

You will find the You've Been Book'd ISTE Digital Explorers Early Chapter Book Series choice board here.

I added the I Am A Digital Explorer poster on the choice board too.  You can print off the 11 x 17 poster and hang it up in your library and classrooms too.  

A Super Fun Reading Enrichment Packet From Our Friends At Follett Content!

 

With summer almost here, our friends at Follett Content have a special Reading Enrichment Packet to share with all of students and families.  

There are ideas and templates for a Neighborhood Book Club, 

Dinner with a Book,

Read the Book, Watch the Movie, 

...and this adorable book log, There's Always Room for More. 

You will find the Reading Enrichment Packet here.

"The Summer Bookshelf"...The May Future Ready Librarians Webinar Recording and Resources Are Here!

This week I hosted the Future Ready Librarians May webinar, The Summer Bookshelf: Professional and Personal Reads That Inspire. 

I was joined by an all-star lineup of amazing librarians, educators, and authors.  It was a wonderful conversation filled with so many resources, ideas and inspiration that will be perfect as we go into the summer. 

You will find the webinar recording here and slides here. 

Our next webinar is in August. 

Visit our 2025 Future Ready Librarians Webinar Series website to register for the entire series.  You will find the April webinar there too. 

Sign Up For Socrait, the AI-Powered Class Assistant and Get A Dunkin’ Cool Summer Gift Card!

 

As we wind down our year at Van Meter, our teachers are having so much fun getting signed up for Socrait, the AI-powered class assistant. 

Have you heard about Socrait, friends?  

Socrait is a voice-based class assistant that turns your voice into data and actions. You teach as you normally do, and let Socrait give you meaningful insights.

Socrait will help with attendance, behavior, parent and student communication, and more. 

With summer approaching, Socrait is looking for innovative and amazing teachers to help make Socrait the best AI-powered class assistant.  

Sign up here today to get early access to Socrait and your FREE gift card! 

And let Socrait bring happiness to your classroom, library and school too. 

A Super Fun Summer Break Reading Bingo From Our Friends At Capstone!

I love using Reading Bingo Boards with our readers all year long.  Students find so many fun and exciting ways to bring reading into their lives throughout holiday breaks, snow days, seasons and more with these awesome Reading Bingo Boards. 

Our friends at Capstone have created a fun Summer Break Reading Bingo for all of us to share with our readers this summer. 

On Capstone's The Art of Reading site for summer reading, you will find lots of ways to unlock creativity with hands-on activities inspired by books. 

As you scroll down, you will see the Summer Reading Bingo to download. 

Hope you're having fun getting ready for summer reading too, friends. 

I Am A Digital Explorer Poster...A Sneak Peak At My New Book Series, ISTE Digital Explorers!

 

We have been working hard to debut my new book series, ISTE Digital Explorers, at the annual ISTE & ASCD Conference in San Antonio this summer. 

This early chapter book series published in partnership with my friends at Capstone and ISTE, introduces important concepts in technology education and highlights all 7 of the ISTE Student Standards in the 7 books. 

On Capstone's Fall 2025 Preview site, you will find...

...ISTE Digital Explorers highlighted. 

So far, there is a preview of Sonia Speaks Up and this amazing...

....poster of the ISTE Student Standards.  It's so much fun and I can't wait to hang this up in our library and classrooms, and share it with our families and public library too. 

And guess what?  Soon there will be an Educator's Guide, Stickers and even more to support this special new series.  I can't wait to share the special lessons and resources we created. We even have projects that include our friends at Book Creator, BreakoutEDU, MergeEDU and more.  

It's going to be so much fun to share these with all of you as you bring the ISTE Digital Explorers to your libraries and classrooms too. 

It's Time For Our Books To Find Their Way Back To Our Library....Canva Poster For You!

Today, I created a little poster in Canva to share around the school, in our daily announcements, and on social as a reminder that we need our books to come back to the library by the end of the year.  

I created this in Canva and you can find the link to make a copy here.

I love how fun and easy it is to create marketing pieces like this for our library using Canva.  

I hope you can use this for yours too! 

Join Me On May 14th For The NEW Book Creator Webinar, Summer Learning and Reading Adventures!

                

I am so excited to invite all of you to the NEW Book Creator webinar, Summer Learning and Reading Adventures! 

As shared in the invite, 

Join us on May 14, 2025 at 12:00pm EST for an engaging webinar with Shannon McClintock Miller, Future Ready Librarian and Edtech Leader, as we explore exciting ways to keep students reading and learning all summer long!

Discover creative strategies and interactive activities that will inspire students to stay curious, build literacy skills, and avoid the summer slide. Whether you're a teacher, librarian, or parent, you'll walk away with practical ideas to make summer reading fun and meaningful.

The recording will be sent to all who register, so even if you can't make it, it's still worth registering. 

Visit this link to register today, friends. 

Join Us Tomorrow for the Future Ready Librarians Webinar, The Summer Bookshelf: Professional and Personal Reads That Inspire.

Friends, we are so excited for our Future Ready Librarians webinar tomorrow on May 7th, The Summer Bookshelf: Professional and Personal Reads That Inspire.  

This one is on May 7th at 5:00-6:00pm EST with a special lineup of library and education leaders, and a few authors too. 

As shared online, 

Summer is a season of renewal—for both personal growth and professional learning. In this special roundtable session, Future Ready Librarians from across the country will come together to share how they use the summer months to grow, recharge, and get inspired for the year ahead. From must-read books and favorite podcasts to impactful professional development opportunities and creative self-care routines, this conversation will offer a wide range of ideas to spark your own summer plans.

Whether you’re diving into your “to be read” pile, attending conferences, or just taking time to reflect and refocus, this session is designed to celebrate the many ways librarians continue to lead, learn, and grow—even when school is out.

Join us for a lively and inspiring exchange of ideas, and walk away with a list of resources, reads, and routines to fuel your summer!

You can register today, friends. We can't wait for this conversation and for you to join us.

Join Me On May 28th For #TLSkyChat On BlueSky As We Talk About Igniting Creativity Through Literacy and the Library

 

I am so excited to join #TLSkyChat (Teacher Librarian Chat) on Blue Sky May 28th at 7:00pm CST as we talk about Igniting Creativity Through Literacy and The Library.  

You might be asking...What is #TLSkyChat? #TLSkyChat is a weekly educational chat held on Bluesky. It's organized by Jennifer LaGarde and Heather Turner.  It's filled with amazing hosts and conversations around important school library and teacher librarian topics. 

On May 28th, I hope you join us for this special #TLSkyChat as we celebrate the role we have in unlocking students' creativity.  It's going to be a great one! 

6 Heartfelt Teacher Thank You Cards for Students to Make In Book Creator During Teacher Appreciation Week!

 

It's Teacher Appreciation Week, friends.  We love finding ways to help our students thank their teachers.

These special Thank You Cards in Book Creator are the perfect way for students to thank their teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week. 

You can help your students show their gratitude by remixing these heartfelt Book Creator thank you cards this week. 💜

What a wonderful and practical way to practice letter writing too. 

You've Been Book'd For The Children's Book Week This Week, May 5-11, 2025!

                

This week we are celebrating Children's Book Week May 5-11, 2025. 

Children’s Book Week, established in 1919, is a celebration of books and the connection they bring. This beloved program continues to grow and adapt each year with new resources and ideas for joining in. Read on for everything you need to celebrate with us May 5-11!

Read more about this event and get the free materials here. 

I brought this list together from the children's book illustrators highlighted in this years program. You can click here for this amazing Titlewave® list of books.  Or click on each book to see individual titles.

You will find the featured illustrator and authors for this years Children's Book Week by visiting the site.

Have fun celebrating Children's Book Week with your readers and community too. 

Let's Celebrate May the 4th All Week Long With This Choice Board For Creating, Exploring, Learning, Coding, & Fun!

                  

This week we are celebrating May the 4th....Star Wars Day! 

On this day, there are lots of exciting, educational, creative and fun ways to celebrate.  We tie in lots of STEAM, art, coding, reading and learning online to this day and throughout the week. 

To kick off our celebration, I created this choice board, Let's Celebrate Star Wars Day With This Choice Board. You will find the link to share with students here.   

If you would like to make a copy to edit, you can get a copy here. 

I also made a version that includes space and planets articles from PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next so our students can research and learn about these topics for Star Wars Day. 

You will find this version with PebbleGo to share with students here.  You can make edits to this choice board here.  If you have PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next, you will want to add links to those articles. 

In addition to the choice boards, we are going to set up different stations and activities for our students.  Here are some of the resources we are going to use.  

The Anthony Herrera Designs site has amazing Star Wars Snowflakes. 

You can download the snowflake patterns so students can create their own.  You will find the site here.

The Star Wars Day May The 4th Be With You site has lots of special resources and information too. You can visit it here. 

I love the cooking and...

...craft activities.  

And this Star Wars Day Activity Kit is packed full of games, recipes and more!  You will find it here.

I hope you have fun planning a Star Wars Day Celebration for your community.  I can't wait to see what you and your students have planned.